Everyday thoughts of the girl next door.

God’s ways are just so unfair

I have been thinking a lot about Tejaswee. The 19-year-old, vivacious, smart daughter of our own IHM who passed away on August 11th, after a futile battle with dengue.

In what kind of world do 19 year olds die because of a disease. It is not supposed to happen that way. Kids are supposed to live a full life, get a gamut of experiences and grow up into smart and compassionate adults. And how come parents are left to deal with 19 years of memories to look back on, and lament the loss of their lovely child? What kind of God looks over this world of ours where the innocent and the weak have to go? And what scientific advances are we boasting of when a fever can kill people? If there is a God, these things would not happen. And where is that God when hundreds of us were praying for the poor girl’s life?

Please do read Tejaswee’s blog, and do leave a thought for IHM. Although she is coping with the tragedy in ways that none of us could ever imagine, I am sure a kind word from all of us would sooth her crying heart.

I do not know if I am making a very insular point here, but, it is because of scientific advances that innumerable people are not dying because of other kinds of fevers like malaria, TB, rubella, etc.

I am atheist, so I find it easier to understand that life is pretty random. The God, rituals, prayers and laws of Karma (“so shall you sow, so shall you reap”) we envision are our ways of trying to indirectly control that randomness, but unfortunately these attempts do not work.

I hope my comment does not come across as insensitive. I myself do not know if this philosophical ‘gyaan’ would come to my aid if and when I suffer from such a loss. I too felt very sad to learn of this.